BATON ROUGE, La. - The 2013 LSU baseball squad takes the field for the first time at 4 p.m. Sunday, as the Tigers begin their six-week fall practice period in Alex Box Stadium.

The fall practice session continues through November 5. All workouts in Alex Box Stadium are open to the public.

The Tigers have engaged for the last month in strength and conditioning drills and individual workouts on the field. The 2013 season begins on February 15, when the Tigers play host to Maryland in Alex Box Stadium.

LSU, the reigning Southeastern Conference champion, was the No. 7 National Seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and fell just one win shy of reaching the College World Series.

"We came so close to realizing all of our goals last year," said seventh-year LSU coach Paul Mainieri, a three-time National Coach of the Year. "However, we recognize there are areas in which we need to improve and we're confident that we're heading in the right direction."

The LSU veterans are complemented by a talented class of 15 newcomers, including two players that were selected in the 2012 Major League Draft.

"We are very excited to see what kind of impact this class will make upon our program," Mainieri said. "I truly believe we've addressed our needs in all phases of the game, and I know our fans will enjoy watching these young men perform in Alex Box Stadium."